Just as Kasumigaoka Utaha was murmuring proudly, Hayashi Maki opened his eyes.
He put on a shocked expression and stared at the girl in front of him.
"Senpai, that's too much—you actually kissed me while I was asleep!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment, but she quickly recovered. She pinched his cheek mischievously with her slender white fingers.
"So what if I did? What are you going to do about it, Top-of-the-year-kun~?"
She deliberately stretched out the nickname, her tone playful and teasing. The onee-san aura was on full display, and for a moment, Hayashi Maki just stared at her, a little dazed.
"Ahem. What can I do? Obviously… I have to kiss you back."
As he spoke, he leaned in and stole a quick kiss.
Utaha shot him a half-annoyed glare.
"You're unbelievable. Totally awful. You were awake and pretending to be asleep."
As she said it, she reached out and gave his waist a sharp pinch.
Hayashi Maki chuckled, catching her small hand, and explained with a grin:
"Heaven and earth as my witness, I really did just wake up—and I was woken by the beautiful Utaha-senpai's kiss, too."
"Anyway, since we're up, we should get going. If we're late to the signing, Sonoko-san will blow a gasket."
Utaha smiled and nodded.
"You're right. She's strict enough as it is. If we show up late to our own signing, she won't just yell—she'll rant for hours."
As she spoke, she wriggled out of his arms and sat on the edge of the bed. Her long, shapely legs stretched out toward him.
"So, what do you want me to wear today, pervy kouhai?"
Looking at her gorgeous, teasing expression, Hayashi Maki couldn't help swallowing.
But business came first; he didn't want to delay. He raised his hand, summoned a pair of black pantyhose, and gently slipped them onto her pale, delicate feet.
"Obviously, black tights."
"Utaha-senpai is a natural-born black-stockings beauty. They suit you perfectly—and this look fits both your series' heroine, Sayuka, and my heroine, Tsukimi Miyabi."
"If the two of us show up at the signing like this, do you think the fans will automatically ship us and start screaming over the CP?"
Utaha rolled her eyes, but she still nodded in agreement.
"That's very possible. My looks and figure are obvious enough, and your appearance is practically the default male lead template."
"But there's another possibility—once readers see us standing together, they might start resenting you and plotting how to get rid of you."
Hayashi Maki was unfazed.
"I'm sure I've got plenty of girl fans too. I'm not afraid of the male ones at all."
As they bantered, he continued dressing his girl: pulling on her skirt, making sure she had safety shorts underneath.
Looking good was fine, but he absolutely wouldn't allow wardrobe malfunctions. No accidental bonus shots for anyone else.
Utaha let him fuss over her without protest.
Watching him gently comb her hair and set her signature white headband in place, her heart felt warm and soft.
Of course, there was a tiny sting of jealousy mixed in.
This guy was way too practiced.
Just how many girls had he dressed and fussed over to get this smooth?
Once he was done, what stood before him was a black-haired beauty like something straight out of a manga: white headband, silky long hair, black stockings, and an aura that screamed "main heroine."
Hayashi Maki nodded in satisfaction.
"Perfect. Utaha-senpai, let's go with this outfit today. Time to head out!"
"Mm, let's go. Let's do our best."
Utaha smiled and slipped her small hand into his.
Hayashi Maki didn't hesitate. He took her hand and, in an instant, teleported them out of the room.
Their figures blinked into existence in a small corner near the signing venue.
After meeting up with Machida Sonoko, she led the two of them over to the designated tables in Akihabara to sit and prepare.
Their spots were close together, so if anything happened, Hayashi Maki could immediately jump over to help Utaha out of a jam.
Author signings had their usual procedures, and the time slot was limited.
Anyone who didn't make it before the end couldn't take photos with the authors; they could only buy pre-signed books to take home.
To get an on-site signature and photo, you had to qualify first.
That meant signing up online—and usually being a hardcore fan: active book reviewers, recommendation bloggers, and the like.
A certain guy named Aki Tomoya used to be one of those well-known rec bloggers in the scene.
But since Aki Tomoya had already choked to death on water back when Hayashi Maki was discharged from the hospital, he obviously wouldn't be appearing here.
When the time came, the signing officially started.
With Hayashi Maki and Utaha's unreal looks, a long line formed in front of their tables almost immediately.
Looked like their hands were in for a workout.
He'd have to give Utaha's fingers a nice massage later.
"Ah! You're Kurosora Twilight-sensei? You're so handsome! I've liked your work for so long—I'll keep supporting you, so please don't ever stop writing!"
"And, um, could you please be a little kinder to Miyabi in the story? Stop torturing her so much!"
Faced with readers nursing stomachaches from his angsty plot twists, Hayashi Maki took them seriously.
"I actually love happy endings," he said with a smile. "So even if the process is a bit painful, I'll definitely make sure the heroine gets her happiness in the end. Please rest assured."
One fan at a time, he signed books, answered questions, and didn't turn down any photo requests.
Being good-looking had its perks—most of his fans in line were girls.
Still, he kept his professional boundaries. He signed, smiled, chatted…
But he didn't exchange private contact info with the pretty ones.
"Wow, you really are Kurosora Twilight-sensei—you look just like a real-life protagonist! And your heroine Miyabi looks exactly like Kasumi Utako-sensei over there! Are you two… dating?"
Some fans were bold enough to ask.
Hayashi Maki stuck to the script.
"That's a private matter, so I can't really talk about it. But Kasumi Utako-sensei and I are good friends, that much is true."
When similar questions came up on Utaha's side, she gave almost the same answer.
This was work; they had image to maintain.
If some fans heard their "goddess" or "husbando" was taken, they might stop buying books altogether.
And beyond that, relationship gossip wasn't the focus of a signing anyway.
No need to get into it.
The event continued smoothly.
Security guards stationed around made sure there were no disruptions or troublemakers.
Watching his own books become popular, watching the signing unfold successfully—Hayashi Maki couldn't help feeling a quiet, strange sense of accomplishment.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's mood was just as bright.
Not long ago, she'd been stuck worrying about her second volume getting axed.
Now, with the inspiration he'd given her, not only had she finished and released volume two, she was holding a signing for it.
For a novelist, that was a huge honor.